Sliding roof for vehicles



May 17, 1938.

W. H. BISHOP SLIDING ROOF FOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. 12, 1936 s Shees-Sheet1 n 4- E I 5- w. H. BISHOP 2,117,598

SLIDING ROOF FOR VEHICLES May 17, 1938.

Filed Dec. 12, 1936 3 Shee ts-Sheet 2 w. H. BISHOP SLIDING ROOF FORVEHICLES Filed Dec. 12, 1936 s SheetsSheet s May 17, 1938.

Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING ROOF FORVEHICLES William Henry Bishop, Birmingham, England Application December12, 1936, Serial No. 115,450 In Great Britain October 3, 1935 '7 Claims.(Cl. 98-2) This invention relates to improvements in tive through oneside of the fixed canopy and its sliding roofs for vehicles in which anopening mounting. in the front part of the roof is adapted to be Figure4 is a cross-section through one side covered or uncovered by alongitudinally slidable of the sliding panel on the line 44 of Figure 15 panel which when opened slides under or over a showing the way inwhich it is guided on the 5 fixed canopy over the rear part of the roof.canopy.

The usual practice in a roof of this kind is Figure 5 is a longitudinalsection through the for the panel to slide under the rear canopy rearend of the canopy and the roof opening which is secured along itslongitudinal and rear showing an alternative method of mounting theedges to the sides and quarters of the roof by rear end of the canopy.means of mouldings or exposed screws. The 010- Figure 6 is a fragmentarysectional perspecject of my invention is to provide an improved tiveview showing an alternative method. of method of mounting the fixed rearcanopy which mounting the canopy where the panel slides eliminates theusual fixing means and so saves under the canopy when opened.

labour and material costs, which simplifies the Figure '7 is a similarsectional perspective is construction and fitting of the roof, whichenview showing another method of mounting the ables adequate ventilationof the vehicle to be canopy and guiding the panel which slides underobtained without draughts and without the risk the canopy. 1 of rainentering, and which gives increased head Figure 8 is a fragmentary viewof the canopy room in the rear part of the vehicle. mounting of Figure 7looking in the direction 20 According to my invention the side edges ofof the arrow in Figure 7. the fixed rear canopy in a vehicle roof areFigure 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view spaced from the adjacentsides of the, roof to of a pressed steel roof showing another methodleave longitudinal slots or openings through of arranging the canopy.

which air can pass freely to and from the in- In the construction shownin Figures 1 to 25 terior of the vehicle, the canopy being supported 5of the drawings a longitudinal rectangular by members extending upwardlyfrom the sides opening in a vehicle roof is closed over its rear of alongitudinal opening in the roof or by any part by a sheet metal canopya and over its other convenient means which permit the free front partby a slidable panel b which can be passage of air. The rear edge of thecanopy may slid rearwardly over the canopy a. 30 also be spaced from therear quarter of the roof Along each side and across the front and rearor it may be secured to or be continuous with ends of the opening thereis a continuous sheet the rear quarter as desired. metal channel or tray0 having at its outer edge The sliding panel when opened is adapted toan upstanding flange d which is secured to the slide over or under thefixed canopy which is cantrails e and front and rear cross-membersconveniently formed by a metal sheet, and the f and g of the roof, andat its inner edge an upunder side of the canopy is painted or trimmedstanding water-check flange h with an inturned to match the interior ofthe vehicle so that the edge, the tray being connected with the outsideheight usually occupied by cross-members carryof the vehicle by theusual drain outlets. The

ing the head lining is saved and additional headcanopy a is formed by ametal sheet having its 40 room is provided under the canopy. side andrear edges flanged over downwardly Where the sliding panel when openedslides and inwardly to form a smooth lip a, and the over the fixedcanopy the panel may have downcanopy is supported adjacent to each sideby an wardly turned side edges which slide in the space upstandinglongitudinal strip is secured against 4.5 between the side edges of thecanopy and the the side edge of the roof opening and having at 4. sidesof the roof. its upper edge a flange which is spot welded or Somepractical forms of sliding roof made in otherwise secured to the underside of the canaccordance with my invention have been illusopy. In thearrangement illustrated the strips 70 trated by way of example in theaccompanying are screwed to a wooden trimming strip Z which drawings inwhich:- is secured to the under side of the tray 0 and so Figure l is aplan of the opening in the roof carries the lining of the body, but theymay showing the fixed canopy and the sliding panel. be secured to theinner face of the water-check Figure 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection on flange h. Alternatively the water-check flange the line 2-2of Figure 1. may be omitted and the strips it replaced by ver- 5 Figure3 is a fragmentary section in perspectical flanges on the inner side ofthe tray. In

the arrangement shown in Figure 2 the rear edge of the canopy issupported by a strip 111. similar to the strips 16, while in thearrangement shown in Figure 5 the rear edge a" of the canopy is steppedup and supported in a rebate 11 on the upper face of the roofcross-member y.

The side edges of the canopy are spaced from the sides of the roofopening, as is best shown in Figure 3, to leave a relatively narrow slot1' for the passage of air, and a series of openings 3 are pierced in thestrips is so that air can pass freely through the slots 7 and openings sto give adequate ventilation of the interior of the vehicle;

Any water which finds its way through the slots r is trapped in the trayand drained away so that no water can enter the vehicle.

In an alternative construction the continuous strips is having openingss may be replaced by spaced lugs or brackets between which air can pass.

The sliding panel I) is also made from a metal sheet and when opened isadapted to slide over the canopy a which is stepped down below the levelof the roof by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of thepanel so that the panel is substantially flush with the roof whenopened. The side edges 15 of the panel are turned downwardly and slidein the slots 7 between the side edges of the canopy and the sides of theroof opening. Adjacent to the rear end of the panel at each side thereis provided a felt-lined runner 11. which engages and slides on the sideedges of the canopy as shown in Figure 4 to guide the rear part of thepanel. The front part of the panel is slidably guided in any convenientmanner, and there is provided any convenient form of locking deviceoperated by the handle 11 for holding the panel in the closed, open orany intermediate position. The rear edge of the panel is provided with alipped rubber bead w which engages with the upper surface of the canopyto make a weathertight joint, but any water which finds its way betweenthe panel and the canopy will be trapped in the channel p which leadsitinto the tray 0.

The under side of the canopy a is trimmed or painted to match theinterior of the vehicle so that the height usually occupied bycross-members underlying the canopy to carry the headlining is saved andthis amount of additional head-room is provided under the canopy.

The modified construction shown in Figure 6 is designed for use with asliding panel which when opened slides under the canopy. In thisconstruction the side edges of the canopy a: which are spaced from theadjacent sides of the roof opening are supported at intervals by anglestrips or brackets y. One limb of each strip is spot welded to the underside of the canopy while the other limb is secured by a screw 2 to theouter wall at of the tray 0. The rear edge of the panel I) may simplyslide between the canopy and the water-check flange h on the tray or itmay be provided with runners guided on the flange h.

In the alternative construction shown in Figure 7 each side edge of thecanopy 2 is turned downwardly at 3 and secured to a longitudinallyextending wooden fillet 4. This fillet is secured at intervals to thebase of the tray 0 by screws of which the heads are received in sockets5 punched upwardly in the metal of the tray, and thick rubber washers lare located between the bottom of the fillet and these sockets so thatthere is a substantial space'B between the bottom of the fillet and thetray through which air can circulate freely. The rear part of thesliding panel, which is of less width than the canopy, is guided on aflanged strip 9 which is secured to the inner face of the fillet 4.

In both of these constructions ramps or equivalent means are preferablyemployed to bring the rear edge of the panel up flush with the canopy asthe panel reaches the closed position in its forward movement.

In a vehicle having a complete pressed steel construction the canopy maybe integral with the rear quarter pressing as shown at ID in Figure 9,longitudinal slots ll being provided between the side edges of thecanopy and the sides of the roof. In this case one or two supports maybe provided to support the canopy towards its forward end.

In an alternative arrangement the canopy may be a separate pressingwelded along the dotted line l2 to the rear quarter pressing of theroof.

I claim:

1. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, water trappingmeans below such channels, and a longitudinally slidable panel foroptionally covering the other end of said roof opening or uncovering thesame.

2. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, means forsupporting the canopy from the sides of the roof, openings in said meansfor the passage of air between the ventilating chan- 1 nels and theinterior ofv the vehicle, water trapping means below such channels, anda longitudinally slidable panel for optionally covering the other end ofsaid roof opening or uncovering the same.

3. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, longitudinal,supporting strips, provided with ventilating openings and connecting thecanopy with the sides of the roof, water trapping means below suchchannels, and a longitudinally slidable panel for optionally coveringthe other end of said roof opening or uncovering the same.

4. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, water trappingmeans below such channels, and a slidable panel provided with downwardlyturned edges adapted to slide in said ventilating channels to guide andpermit the panel to slide over the fixed canopy.

5. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, water trappingmeans below such channels, a longitudinally slidable panel foroptionally covering the other end of said roof opening or uncovering thesame, and runners on one end of said panel slidably engaging the sideedges of the canopy.

6. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, alongitudinal, channeled memberalong each side of the roof opening andextending below the adjacent ventilating channel, supports projectingupwardly from said channeled members to carry the fixed canopy, and alongitudinally slidable panel adapted in one position to close the openend of said roof opening and in another position to slide intohorizontal parallelism with the canopy.

'7. A vehicle roof having a longitudinal opening therein, a fixed canopyin one end of said opening, ventilating channels between the side (edgesof the canopy and the adjacent sides of the roof opening, alongitudinal, channeled member along each side of the roof opening andextending below the adjacent ventilating channel, supports projectingupwardly from said channeled members to carry the fixed canopy and soarranged as to allow air to pass between the ventilating channel and theinterior of the vehicle, and a longitudinally slidable panel adapted inone position to close the open end of the roof opening and in anotherposition to slide under the canopy, and guides for the panel below thecanopy.

WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP.

